(KNZA)--The Hiawatha Board of Education has adopted a 2016-17 budget that contains a nearly 5 mill property tax levy decrease.

The action came following a hearing their regular meeting this week drawing no public comment.

The budget contains an estimated tax levy of 55.33 mills, which is raise more than $5.7 million.    
Board Clerk Leslie Grimm says they are raising the same amount of taxes with a lower mill levy due to an 8 ½ percent increase in the district’s assessed valuation.

In other business, the Board accepted a bid from the P1 Group to resurface the elementary school playground at a cost of $19,000.  

The Lenexa-based firm was awarded the contract for the bond improvement project’s at the district’s schools this summer.